Baby Haruno
by mirthfully.morbid
Summary: "What's the matter?" Sasuke's voice caught Ino unaware as she wasn't used to the Uchiha speaking at all. Ino fumbled while Sai looked at them with his fake smile and responded. "Ugly is pregnant." Sasuke Uchiha had never felt so much jealousy, rage and regret in a moment since a long time. He wanted to kill the baby's father, whoever he was. SasuSaku, set before the epilogue.
1. The News

_**(A/N)**_

 _ **This is my first fanfic for SasuSaku, and my second fanfic after Vexed (Dramione) so please don't kill me for any errors. I just had to write this story down with the plot that came to my mind.**_

 _ **I might extend the story and make it a multi-chapter fic if I get reviews for the plot. Enjoy!**_

"Ramen!" Naruto Uzumaki was excited to be visiting Ichiraku for the third time that day. One could say the jinch≈´riki had matured after the War. His aspiration to become the Hokage one day had made him sober down a little and be a lot calmer around people, especially his Hinata-chan. After all, he didn't like to startle her and cause her to faint, no matter how cute he thought it was.

The last Uchiha almost rolled his eyes at his teammate's never ending love and excitement for ramen. Almost. Uchiha's aren't supposed to express their disdain (or anything) so openly so he merely decided to remain as uninterested as possible while he accompanied said teammate to the ramen stall which had now expanded to a restaurant. It was a village rumour that half the profits used for the expansion were made from the pockets of the Naruto alone.

Just as the two sat down after placing their orders, a tensed looking Ino walked into the eatery, followed by Sai. "Have you seen Forehead?"

"Nope. Sakura is on a mission to Sand. She will be back in the next two days." said Naruto while constantly eyeing if his order was ready.

"Kami. I sure hope she doesn't hurt herself!"

"Of course she won't. Sakura-chan is the best medic, but she also can beat the shit out of people when she wants, even teme!"

"Hn" Sasuke grunted his disapproval. He had come to the realisation that Sakura was nothing like the girl he had left behind on that bench years ago.

Once he had been back and served his sentence for the next two years, Sakura, along with Naruto and occasionally even Kakashi, had helped him with his community service and annoying D-rank missions. However, she no longer fawned over him, nor paid him any special interest. She would spar with him to train and occasionally join him for a meal like the rest of the team did, but Sakura Haruno made sure that the last Uchiha knew that he would get no special treatment from her anymore.

He had rather deal with a drunk Tsunade and a horny Jiraiya together than accept that her changed behaviour towards him had affected him deep down. Logically he knew she wouldn't wait for him for an eternity, but to actually realise and accept it was a whole different ball game.

Initially, Sakura was just his assigned medic after the War. Her only task was to make sure that both he and Naruto survived their injuries. She treated him as mechanically as possible with little to no interaction. Sasuke had imagined it to be the perfect scenario where he wasn't being forced to speak or listen to people, but one day he came across her sitting next to a sleeping Naruto and whispering how she hoped the War never happened and Naruto would wake up from his sleep soon.

That was the day Sasuke Uchiha realised that he wanted Sakura to care about him too. He wouldn't dare call it jealousy, but he regretted the way he had always treated her and maybe he had finally lost her.

As time wore on and the hidden leaf village of Konoha accepted him, the fangirls came back with even more fervour. Some crazy ones were bold enough to come propose that they were willing to help him 'rebuild the Uchiha clan' for free. When Sakura had finally scared them off once, Sasuke felt a feeble amount of hope rise that maybe all was not lost. But then, he was his teammate who couldn't do social interactions so maybe it was just a favour.

Sakura had now surpassed Tsunade and was the best medic in all the hidden villages. She often had to leave on prolonged missions to not only fight and protect but also to heal and cure. Her last mission to Sand had lasted about a month, after which she had returned for a few weeks before being summoned again for a rather drastic case of some illness that had turned into an epidemic overnight.

"Okay listen, if you happen to see her when she comes, which I know you will, since you all always meet each other at the Gates, tell her to come see me before she goes to meet Tsunade or anyone at the Hospital." Ino had never sounded so serious in her life.

"What's the matter?"

Sasuke's voice caught Ino unaware as she wasn't used to the Uchiha speaking at all. Ino fumbled while Sai looked at them with his fake smile and responded. "Ugly is pregnant so Ino wants to be the one to tell her first."

No one had seen these ninjas react so swiftly all at once, before. Ino had whipped around and screamed at Sai for not knowing when to keep his mouth shut, while Naruto dropped his bowl of ramen and screamed "WHAAAAAAAAATTT?". Sasuke had Sai in a death grip by his neck and was seething.

"Sasuke Uchiha leave my boyfriend alone. He is not the one who knocked up Sakura. And if you wanted to be the one to have done that, you should have done it by now or at least told her what you intend to do."

Sasuke felt his cheeks flame up at the implication and sank back into his seat. Naruto would have laughed at him for being so scared of Ino, but he was still registering her words.

"So Sakura is going to have a baby?" Naruto asked, still flabbergasted.

Sai nodded. "Yes."

Sasuke knew Sakura would occasionally go on dates, but he knew she wasn't seeing anybody seriously and she was the best medic around for Kami's sake. She couldn't be that stupid to not have used protection! And at the idea that she had done the deed with other men, Sasuke felt his blood boil and bile rise up his throat, all at once. "How can you be so sure?"

Ino was the one to answer this time. "After their mission in Sand, all the assigned medics and other accompanying teammates were supposed to undergo medical tests to ensure that we hadn't brought in any of the maladies with us back to Konoha. Our body fluid samples were taken for inspection. Since I was part of the mission, I had gone to collect my report today, when I bumped into Shizune."

Ino sighed and sat down in one of the chairs at the table, looking as tired as she sounded. "Shizune called me aside and told me that when they tested Sakura's sample, they found something odd about it and then they ran regular tests. Which is when they found out that Sakura was pregnant. Shizune herself ran the tests; twice to be sure. Finally, she had gone to inform Tsunade who is now supposedly furious at Sakura for being reckless. Thus, she asked me to inform her before she meets Tsunade to give her the mission report."

"Teme you didn't tell me you and Sakura-chan were doing obscene things behind our backs!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto and could feel his Sharingan rise as anger washed over him. "We were not doing anything. Clearly, she has some secret lover back in Sand."

"Actually she is only a month and a few weeks along, which means she must have uhh...conceived the child during the few weeks that she spent in Konoha."

Sasuke didn't know whether he felt relieved that it wasn't some crazy Sand-nin or that one of these stupid Konoha nins could be the father to Sakura's child.

 _Father to Sakura's child._

Sasuke had had enough. He put some cash on the table and left a very confused Naruto asking for explanations from Ino, who seemed equally surprised that her own best friend never told her about this secret lover of hers, and as was clear from his rage, it was clearly not the Uchiha.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Remember to leave reviews if you would like me to update this story with the plot!**_ __


	2. When the Hokage summons

_**(A/N)**_

 _ **Thank you all for the lovely reviews and for all those that are following this fic already! The more the reviews, the faster I post usually, sometimes even twice a day!**_

 _ **So let me know what you think so far!**_

 _ **Also, I just started a new community for SasuSaku COMPLETED fics that I have read or come across. If any of you would want me to add any stories to it or would like to follow it, you can find the link to it on my profile. (Fellow contributors are also welcome!)**_

 _ **It's called SasuSaku Icha Icha Paradise (LOL XD)**_

 _ **Anyway, hope you enjoy this one! Don't forget to REVIEW!**_ __

Sasuke Uchiha was pissed would be the understatement of the century. He was not just pissed, he was royally pissed and was fuming when a messenger had come to drop him the news that the Hokage had asked to see him at the earliest.

He had spent the entire day training after the little incident at Ichiraku. He had practised jutsus that he had long ago surpassed or ones that would entirely drain him of his chakra, juts to keep his mind occupied. He had never realised that he had burnt down half of the training grounds with his occasional bursts of the Chidori. Even Naruto would have cringed at how the entire land was now charred black with trees that looked like they were larger versions of the charcoal sticks that Sai used to draw.

Sasuke tried to divert his mind on the way to the Hokage tower by reminding himself to buy mundane things like grocery. As soon as he reached the gates, an ANBU guard stepped forward and asked him to go in immediately as the Hokage was waiting for him.

"Must be some urgent mission." he thought.

Sasuke tried to will himself to calm down as he knocked on her door.

The door opened to a furious looking Tsunade sitting at her desk with a pile of paperwork next to her. Her usual bottle of sake was nowhere to be found.

"You summoned me urgently?" The Uchiha questioned.

"Yes. Because you cannot burn down the bloody training grounds when genins are practising there! You were not even training as far as what I was told, simply blowing up things Uchiha. If you continue pulling crazy stunts like this, it would be difficult for me to convince the Council that you mean no harm to us."

"I was just practising."

Tsunade's eye twitched. "By blowing up the entire place?!"

"Hn."

"Listen it's frustrating enough for me to know that my own apprentice could be so reckless that she went ahead and got herself pregnant with your kid, so if not for Konoha's sake, then for her sake, stop with this ridiculous angsty behaviour of yours."

Sasuke looked straight at her and felt himself fuming once again.

"I did not get Sakura pregnant." he said through gritted teeth.

"Of course you didn't. But it happened so accept it instead of blowing up the entire village."

"I did not get her pregnant because someone else did. I have never even touched her."

Tsunade had never seen the Uchiha display any emotion so openly before. It was clear that her implying that the child was his, had affected him to the point that he looked crazed with anger. She knew better than to make him even more furious.

"Oh. Uh just don't burn down anything else. You may leave."

Tsunade dismissed him hurriedly.

Sasuke left after almost banging the door off its hinges while Tsunade sat there in shock. She had been upset that Sakura had been reckless, but still happy that she had finally managed to get together with Sasuke after so many years of pining away. It was no secret that despite the dates and flings that Sakura had, no man had ever truly made her feel complete like Sasuke did. But over the years, the pink-haired kunoichi had hardened up her resolve as much as she had created a shell around her that no one could penetrate. She still tried to find love elsewhere, half-heartedly, because she had given up on the Uchiha ever returning her feelings. But the fact was that her own feelings never went away; only returned ten times over after the War when they started working together once more.

Tsunade couldn't help but wonder who the secret man was if it wasn't the brooding Uchiha. What surprised her was the fact that he seemed clearly very affected by the fact that Sakura was pregnant. She had earlier thought he was pissed that she got pregnant and he didn't know how to deal with the situation and thus went on a rampage on the training grounds. Now it seemed he was raging that someone else was there in Sakura's life and was the father of her unborn child. Sasuke had to have some feelings for the medic nin if he made his feelings for the situation so public. The Hokage was now as confused as the rest of the Konoha nins that were aware of the situation.

All they could now do was wait until Sakura returned.

The journey from Sand to Konoha was wearing Sakura down. She had spent the past few days constantly curing the few kids that were still under the spell of the deadly flu that had taken over the little village. She wanted to be able to be back in Konoha at the earliest so had declined the villager's offer to stay and rest another day to refill her chakra. Instead, she chose to leave for Konoha immediately. There was no immediate threat that she might face on the way, and in case she didn't return in time, she knew Naruto would make sure that they hunted every possible place to find her.

She was moving casually as the forests around Konoha started coming in view. She picked up her pace and was soon surrounded by the comfort of the known trees and plants that reminded her of home. Worn out and tired, Sakura stopped near a stream to fill up her bottle when she heard rustling from the bushes. She masked her chakra immediately and pretended to not be aware of the intruder's presence.

If it was someone from Konoha, they would mean no threat, and if it was some rival ninja, she would catch them by surprise. Sakura knew that whoever it was, couldn't see her directly since she was behind a set of boulders so she quickly covered her pink hair with a scarf which was a dead giveaway of her identity.

Just as she was done filling up the bottle, she heard a kunai fly through the air behind her. She leapt aside as the kunai whizzed by her ear.

"Oh so you are quick, little kunoichi." came a gruff male voice.

"I am a lot more than just quick you bastard. Show yourself!" Sakura took on a defensive stance.

Three burly men with headwraps and heavy beards burst out of the bushes near her and pounced on her.

Sakura knew that her chakra was still not complete replenished and she needed to use tactic over strength right now, so she pretended to dodge one of them from the side and wobbled as the three caught hold of her and slammed her to the ground.

The one that had spoken earlier seemed to be the leader. He was now holding her by her hands with her back against the ground while the other two stood nearby smirking at her.

"She is pretty. We can have some fun and then even sell her off, what say Ichiro-san?" The one to her right exclaimed with a sick glint in his eye.

"No. I think this one is untainted. We can get more money if we sell her like this." said the one to her left who seemed to be the brains of the trio.

The leader smirked. Sakura had a sick feeling about all this.

"We can have our share of fun without actually spoiling her for the market. There are other ways you know. She does have a lovely pink little mouth. We will put that to use. You will like it, won't you little slut?"

Sakura could feel her chakra unleash gradually and realised that her own chakra may not be at its fullest, but if she fought sensibly, she could easily defeat the three.

Just as the idiot from her right bent down to kiss her, Sakura pulled her arms so fast that the leader, Ichiro, who was sitting over her, came flying and hit right into his own junior. The two went crashing over her head and she used this time to get back on her feet. The third one sensed that Sakura was more powerful than they had given her credit for so he leapt into action.

"You bitch." Shurikens came flying at her, which she easily dodged, while the leader threw kunai after kunai at her. She realised that the three only worked in a particular formation, which made it rather easy for her to defeat them. She had masked most of her chakra until now so that they don't sense her power, but as soon the three stood facing her. Before they could throw any other attack at her, Sakura had casually picked up the boulders that were beside the stream and threw them at her attackers. Before they could react, she had punched a hole in the ground, which made them lose their balance and fall over as the boulders hit them and crushed one of them.

Sakura was breathing heavily and had turned back to retrieve her backpack when a kunai hit her. She yelped and turned around to see the brainy one giving her one last glare before he slumped back into the ground.

She cursed and with her remaining chakra, quickly healed the wound on her right leg. After ensuring that the sick bastards were bound and almost comatose, she continued to move towards Konoha. She would tell Tsunade about the location of these men and then the Konoha guards could take care of them. She was in no mood to carry around rapists and bandits with her.

She had dealt with enough of such twisted assholes over the past few months of her travels.

As Konoha's gates came into view, Sakura realised that she was smiling and increased her pace. At the gate stood an excited Naruto, as always, along with a stoic Sai. Surprisingly Ino was also there while Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe he was on a mission or maybe he just forgot." She thought with a twinge of disappointment.


	3. Homecoming

Sakura had spent two days working hard after her return and was rather upset about having disappointed Tsunade.

Ino had had a chat with Sakura and then with Tsunade right before the pinkette had gone in to give her mission report. She knew what she had done wasn't exactly the brightest thing to do, but one can't always be level headed.

But the most mortifying part was the fact that everyone seemed to know about it! Including the loudmouth best friend of hers. If Naruto knew, then that meant all of Konoha Eleven plus Sasuke and Kakashi would be aware of the news.

She had tried real hard to avoid thinking about what Sasuke must have thought about the situation; about _her_.

"Urgh!" she said loudly as she picked up her medic coat and left to do a round of the wards before she started overthinking the situation _AGAIN_.

Sasuke Uchiha had steered clear of his female teammate as much as possible. He was glad that Kakashi was sent off on a mission which meant it left him, the dobe and Sakura to spar with each other during training.

Sakura hadn't turned up for any training since her return, as was expected, which just added fuel to the fire that was Sasuke's temper. He felt pangs of jealousy and some form of betrayal as if Sakura wasn't supposed to do this.

He hadn't exactly thought of her with the Uchiha crest on her back or as the mother to his heirs, but he definitely couldn't imagine anyone else play those roles in his life either. He dare not admit these thoughts even to himself, but they were a fact that he couldn't deny anymore. Yet, there seemed to be nothing that he could do about it anymore.

He had asked Tsunade for a long mission at which the Hokage had raised her eyebrow but had replied that she would see what she could find for him.

He would do anything to just get away from it all, even a D-rank mission to go babysit some stupid Lord for a year. He needed to get himself together and with Sakura living and breathing the same air as him, he felt his calm facade slip away to give way to some uncalled rage and fury which he himself couldn't decipher.

Naruto, on the other hand, had never felt so neglected in his entire life. Yes, Hinata-chan and the rest were always there, but his own teammates had no time for him. Sasuke seemed to be always brooding in some corner (more than the usual amount) and wouldn't meet him for any ramen either! He felt as if the teme was avoiding him!

Sakura, his sole hope, was also acting strangely. He knew she was with child and did not ask to spar with her, but she had complained of constantly feeling tired since the past two days as her reason for not wanting to spar. Even Naruto knew when people were not willing to share their secrets, but this was his Sakura! How could she not share such a huge news with him!

He huffed and puffed his way to the Hyuga compound, all the way wondering what was wrong with his two best friends.

After a sharp knock, a shy Hinata opened the door for him.

Naruto grinned at her as he checked their surroundings for any male Hyuga and quickly pecked her on the lips. Hinata turned a shade of bright pink as she giggled and pulled him in.

They sat around for a bit and finally decided to head outside towards the lake.

"Is something troubling you Naruto-kun?"

Naruto realised that he had been distracted for most of his date and mumbled a sheepish apology.

"No. It's fine. I just want to make sure everything is alright with you. Did Neji say anything?"

Her concern always warmed his heart. He didn't want to trouble her with his worries because he knew he usually overreacted when it came to his teammates, but even his hyperactive self would have noticed the change that the two had undergone.

"Remember how I told you that Sasuke hadn't taken the news of Sakura's pregnancy well?"

She nodded.

"It turns out he is now not only mad at everyone, for some reason, but also clearly avoiding me. And Sakura is clearly tired in this condition all the time, to the point that she suggested we shouldn't spar. But, she just wouldn't come and admit the truth to me!"

"Oh, Naruto-kun. Sakura-chan needs to probably settle down with her pregnancy before she breaks the news to you. Give it time. And you mentioned how odd Sasuke has been behaving lately and I had agreed that he sounded jealous and hurt. But I am not sure about it anymore."

Naruto paused at his girlfriend's words. He turned to look at her. "What do you mean Hinata-chan?"

"If he was avoiding her and being angry, it would be the expected behaviour, but if you say he was been avoiding everyone, including you, then it seems like he is hiding avoiding confrontation or people in general. This behaviour isn't unusual for him when he wants to avoid discussing something."

"So you think he is simply avoiding everyone so that he doesn't have to discuss Sakura's pregnancy?"

"Maybe and maybe not." Hinata said meekly.

Naruto was baffled by now.

"He maybe avoiding that conversation or the fact that Sakura got pregnant and he didn't find it out from her first."

Now Naruto was seriously confused.

"Why would Sakura tell the teme first and not me or Blondie? I think she would tell Blondie first, anyway." He almost pouted at the thought that he was second in preference for such things.

"Because maybe he is the father."

As the words left Hinata's mouth, she started feeling breathless with the nervousness. She would have fainted if Naruto wasn't holding onto her waist.

"Then why would he be angry? He wanted to revive his clan!"

"Maybe because he never found it out from her and had to get to know it from Ino. And also, he is from a respectable clan Naruto-kun. If I were to have a child out of wedlock, it would bring disgrace to the Hyuga clan, same as it would if Neji were to do so." Hinata blushed at the thought.

"Those sort of rules still exist?"

"There are no said rules anymore, but am sure that after so much, Sasuke wouldn't want any more bad fame for the Uchiha clan, being its last survivor."

Naruto realised that as far-fetched as it may seem, it could be true. It was possible that the two teammates were simply avoiding him to avoid each other! Of course, they wouldn't actually avoid him for nothing!

As the pieces fell into place, he remembered something Kakashi had casually mentioned before he left for his mission.

"I think they had a one-night stand and fucked up."

Naruto didn't know what to make of it, but he knew one thing for sure. He absolutely had to get the two adamant idiots to speak with each other because he couldn't let some awkwardness get in the way of them being Team Seven.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Hello! Sorry for the long break, but I JUST GRADUATED! I am a student of design so had a LOT of work to do before my finals.**_

 _ **Hope you liked this so far! Also any Dramione fans in the house can check my other story, Vexed (It's completed and my first fanfic).**_

 _ **P.S. Started a SasuSaku community, admins and story suggestions are more than welcome. Find the link and description for it in my profile!**_

 _ **Cheers,  
MM**_


	4. Crossroads

Ino knew the truth. She now knew the entire truth.

It was a matter of time before others caught on, especially Sasuke. She knew she had to do something before the Uchiha realised it and reacted.

The only and the fastest way to rush the situation before it blew up in everyone's face was to involve Naruto, even if she hated to admit it.

She knew she would have to use Hinata's influence over Naruto, but the blonde kunoichi knew that anything was better than the consequences they might have to deal with otherwise. Sasuke was not going to be happy with the truth, and it was best he was dealt with sooner than later otherwise Sakura would have to deal with the famous Uchiha wrath.

As Ino walked out of the Hokage tower, she headed towards her family owned flower shop, hoping to catch Naruto on her way.

Sakura had been rushing in and out of rooms since morning and now her feet felt swollen and hurt a lot. She had been unnaturally dizzy the past few days and now she had started to worry that it was something more than just fatigue that was affecting her condition.

The hospital had been full and with many medics sent off to Sand, most medics and nurses present were pulling double shifts.

Sakura knew that taking time off was not really an option, hence she had asked Tsunade to run some tests on her to assess her condition. The results were due later that evening.

They had overruled the chance of any infection early on so that nobody might contract any disease from Sakura.

"Hello, Sakura!"

Sakura turned to find Shizune walking towards her.

"Hi, Shizune!" Sakura smiled.

"I was looking for you actually, Tsunade has summoned you. She is waiting for you in the B-Wing on the second floor." Shizune looked rather worried.

"She wants to see me in the hospital? Is it some patient? Or some member of the ANBU?"

"I am afraid that we could not speak much. All she said was that it's urgent that I send you over."

"Oh. Alright." Sakura left for the second floor immediately feeling extremely perplexed by the sudden summon and hoping that it wasn't any of her friends that had gotten into any trouble.

She knew that Kakashi was faring well on his mission so it couldn't be him, while the rest of them were in Konoha or yet to leave for their missions. That left the only one she was clueless about.

Sasuke.

Her breath hitched at the realisation that he might have been on a mission or gotten into some serious trouble.

Meanwhile, Naruto had been going over his possible 'plans' with Hinata and Ino.

"For the last time Uzumaki, we cannot send a pregnant Sakura and a furious Sasuke on a mission together just because we want them to talk! Think of something better!"

Ino was now losing her patience with Naruto and wondered how her friend Hinata put up with him.

"What do you want me to do Yamanaka? Tie them together? She is the most powerful medic kunoichi and he is the last Uchiha if you have forgotten!"

Naruto felt equally irritated and helpless. He knew there was no way that they could physically force his two teammates to talk.

Unless a situation presented itself.

Just as Naruto was thinking of the possible situations that they could create, a ninja appeared next to them.

"Hokage-sama has summoned you and Sasuke Uchiha to the Hospital immediately. Sakura's life is in potential danger and she wants you present immediately."

Naruto sprung into action and immediately left to find Sasuke while Ino and Hinata rushed to the hospital.

Naruto was now feeling extremely annoyed. He has tried to find Sasuke in all possible places but had been unsuccessful in finding him so far. He had first checked the training grounds, then the grocery store and finally his apartment but Sasuke Uchiha was nowhere to be found.

Naruto had almost given up on finding the teme when he stumbled upon the street that led to the abandoned Uchiha compound. That was the last place he expected the Uchiha to be, but Naruto was desperate so he decided to give one last shot.

The Uchiha compound was as eerily quiet and desolate as he had expected, yet the Uchiha mansion stood out from the rest. It looked like someone had been tending to the gardens and repairing it.

He quietly made it to the front door and knocked. When he heard no answer, he opened the door and walked in.

"Teme! We need to go!"

It was obvious that someone had been fixing the abandoned mansion.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto heard Sasuke's voice from behind him. He turned to find his teammate carrying in a pile of wood from the backdoor.

"We need to go to the hospital. Sakura's life is in danger and Tsunade wants us there immediately."

"Why does she need us? Isn't that kid's father with her?"

If not for the stoic expression, Naruto would actually think that Sasuke sounded hurt and extremely jealous.

"Because she is dying and Tsunade has summoned us baka!"

"Hn." Sasuke said as he calmly went ahead with the wood in his hands to go back to fix the door he had been fixing.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto could feel his temper rise. He moved towards his teammate and grabbed him by his shoulder, but almost immediately, Sasuke managed to throw him off-balance and pin him to the ground.

"I don't care if she lives or dies." was all he said before disappeared in a second.

Naruto sat there feeling angry and confused. "I know you care teme. The only reason you are so angry is because you care. Everyone was right! If you can listen to me then know that you are nothing but a coward! You could never muster the courage to accept what you feel for Sakura-chan and now that she has probably moved on, you cannot accept that she could get over you."

Naruto wanted to punch sense into Sasuke but he knew Sakura needed him right now. He banged the door on his way out while a stunned Sasuke stood on the first floor.

At the hospital, Naruto managed to find Hinata and Ino right outside Sakura's room.

"Tsunade asked us to wait outside. She is treating Sakura herself."

Hinata mumbled.

Ino looked very tensed and Sai had joined them while Naruto was away.

"But what's wrong? Is it the baby?" Naruto asked. Sai had his usual expressionless mask on, yet if one knew him well enough, they could say he was worried for Sakura.

"Hokage-sama didn't specify. She just informed us that Sakura is out of immediate danger, but we don't know anything for sure yet. All we can do is wait."

Naruto slipped into a chair as his legs gave away.

On one hand was Sakura, struggling for her own life and her baby's. On the other hand was the stubborn Uchiha who still wouldn't admit that he had feelings for Sakura and was now simply angry at her for moving on. It wasn't fair for him to expect her to wait for him forever, but Naruto knew he was hurting.

And at this strange point in his life, Naruto could only hope for a miracle.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **To all the guest reviewers, THANK YOU! I wasn't expecting so many reviews! But they made my day! For real!**_

 _ **And the much awaited Sasuke-Sakura confrontation would happen in the next chapter (maybe?)**_

 _ **Let me know how you like it so far. I hope no one seems too OOC (Except I think Naruto reacts a little more maturely than most SasuSaku fanfics)**_

 _ **Keep the reviews and favourites flowing 3**_

 _ **-MM**_

 _ **P.S. Miss Sandra- I know, real world starts for me from 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **of June. Let's hope it's not as bad as it sounds!**_

 _ **P.P.S. It IS a SasuSaku fic (The kid doesn't necessarily have to be Sarada, just a half-elder sibling). Don't worry. I can NEVER imagine either of them with anyone else.**_


	5. Rendezvous

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE.**_

 _ ************IMPORTANT*************_

 _ **Okay so I am going to rant a bit but I have said it before and I am going to say it again. THIS IS A SASUSAKU fic strictly.**_

 _ **And I do not understand that why are people assuming Sakura moving is fine while Sasuke didn't. I NEVER mentioned that Sasuke is a virgin or waited for Sakura.**_

 _ **He is an ass who thinks he is entitled to eventually land up with her. One who takes her feelings for granted that she would end up with him without any effort on his part. And now that he has realised that's not the case, he is feeling confused and hurt.**_

 _ **I do not see any mention of Sasuke staying away from Karin or any other female because he only wanted Sakura in my story. He clearly did not wait. And he definitely hasn't even acknowledged or even understood his feelings for Sakura yet.**_

 _ **So stop judging this story as a non-SasuSaku.**_

 _ **I might sound offensive but how can you call yourself a true SasuSaku fan if you can't be patient with a story about them which isn't even halfway through?**_

 _ **It took them to reach #700 to actually get married and have Sarada! Does that make you think they would have had it easy?**_

 _ **If you don't like my story or my storytelling skills, that's perfectly fine. But don't judge the story and leave misleading reviews even before I MAKE THEM MEET EACH OTHER FOR KAMI'S SAKE!**_

 _ **IT IS A SASUSAKU. IT WILL REMAIN A SASUSAKU.**_

 _ **Doesn't have to be all easy-peasy from the start, but it will get there. Period.**_

 _ ********ends rant********_

 _ **I am extremely sorry for the above, but never before have reviews made me upset. I appreciate the time everyone takes to leave reviews, especially guest reviewers, but please, this story isn't even halfway through so don't leave comments that might misguide or confuse other readers.**_

 _ **And remember the concept called cliffhangers.**_

 _ **And for the wonderful reviewers (ALL OF YOU, even the ones that made me feel a little off), THANK YOU! :D**_

 _ **Reviews keep me going, so now am setting a target to make sure I don't get lazy to post. :P**_

 _ *********FIFTEEN REVIEWS until the next chapter, can I get that? (I think that's attainable, but still)***********_

Sakura had spent the past few hours staring at the ceiling. There wasn't much that she could do lying in bed at the hospital.

Tsunade had almost immediately admitted her and she could hear a frantic Naruto outside her room after a while.

Next thing she knew, Tsunade was barking orders at Shizune and a few other seniors medics that surrounded Sakura while poking various needles through her body.

Within minutes Sakura could feel her eyelids become heavy as she had drifted off into a peaceful slumber as Tsunade worked her skills on Sakura.

She had woken up hours later to a sombre Naruto at her bedside. Hinata had gone to fetch some ramen for the Kyuubi while Ino had retired for the night with Sai, leaving a bouquet of fresh orchids next to her bed as a get well soon present.

Naruto looked like he had been dragged through hell and back. He had bloodshot eyes like he had been crying and his throat sounded hoarse.

He had tried his best to act and feel normal around Sakura as she had finally woken up. He was really very happy that she was now stable and conscious once again, but he couldn't help feel like the weight of a thousand rocks lay on his shoulders.

He couldn't shake the feeling away. he couldn't forget the moment that had passed a few hours ago as Sakura lay unconscious after the procedure.

Naruto, Ino and Hinata had been allowed to go see Sakura in the room while she slept. Right as they had entered, a young medic had entered the room. She had checked the vitals and left to fetch some medicines.

Ino had excused herself to go visit Tsunade to understand the situation better, but Naruto was too impatient to wait for her to bring back some news.

So as the nurse had returned, he had promptly left his seat next to Sakura's bed and walked up to her.

He almost startled the nurse as she wasn't expecting the famous Uzumaki to just straight up walk up to her just like that while she was administering some injections to Sakura.

"I am sorry for surprising you like this, but I wanted to know something about Sakura-chan's condition."

Even Hinata was surprised by the mature tone that Naruto's voice held.

"Yes Uzumaki-san, what would you like to know? If it's anything I can help you with, I will definitely let you know. But I wasn't there during the procedure though. I can only tell you what I know of her present condition."

"That's fine. Can you tell me how is the baby doing?"

The young nurse looked a little confused by his question.

"I am sorry but, what baby?"

"Sakura's baby?" Hinata asked, a little stressed now.

"Oh! Uh...I am extremely sorry, but there is no baby as per these papers. No medicines that she needs to be given for one or anything that says likewise."

"There is no baby?!" Naruto asked snatching the clipboard from her.

"Naruto calm down." Hinata tried, but she could feel her own tension levels rise.

"There is no baby or there is no baby anymore!?"

Naruto was now practically screaming.

Hinata pulled Naruto back as she apologised to the nurse and asked her to continue with the injections while they would go take a walk.

And now as he sat smiling at his now conscious teammate, Naruto knew that it was on him to break the news to her.

Sakura smiled at Naruto and weakly gestured for some water. While he helped her drink some, she felt herself slip into a lull of sleep once again.

Soon Tsunade walked through the doors. She saw the slumped shoulders of Naruto as he stood there holding a half-drunk glass of water in one hand and another stroking Sakura's hair.

"Naruto, go home. You need the rest."

"No Grandma. I need to stay with her."

Tsunade moved towards the whiskered boy as she gently put a hand on his shoulder just as Hinata returned with a cup of instant ramen.

"You both should head home. Sakura wouldn't gain any proper consciousness until tomorrow morning at least so there's no point in waiting for her. Plus, trust me she needs the rest."

"But who will tell her what happened!"

Even though Naruto and Sakura had never even discussed the baby, he could still feel the empty void, the pain on her behalf. He knew how lonely she used to get at times and he knew this would only make it worse.

"I am there Naruto. I will do it if she wakes up before you get here. Promise. I will make sure it's one of us."

Naruto looked at Sakura's serene face one more time before he reluctantly consented to leave. Hinata held onto his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they left while Tsunade sighed at the sight of her daughter-like pink haired medic that now lay in bed under a spell of poison.

Sakura had woken up a few hours after they had all left, feeling extremely bored and the entirety of the situation was yet to sink in. She finally managed to shift a little so that she could at least gaze out of the window and see the night sky.

The night sky with its stars had always fascinated her. It held a certain mystery to it. Dark and mysterious, much like an extremely infuriating Uchiha that she knew. She realised that she didn't remember seeing him anywhere while she had briefly woken up to Naruto beside her.

She felt a crushing feeling but tried to dismiss it quickly. He had successfully avoided her for a long while now and Sakura was no fool; she knew when someone was trying to keep her out of their life. Maybe Sasuke was actually as heartless and cold as he pretended to be. Because maybe, he really didn't care a bit about her. Not even if she died. With that, she looked up at the sky once more as she felt her eyes starting to water.

Under the same sky and billions of stars, in another part of Konoha, the lone Uchiha sat atop a hill. He knew Sakura was hospitalised and in some danger. The entire Konoha knew it because she was their darling medic, after all.

He felt guilty for not visiting her even once. He knew he should have, but would it make any difference to her? It wouldn't. Not in any way he wanted at least. Yes, she would question the absence of her teammate but would she miss him because he was Sasuke? The boy who left her on a bench when they were thirteen? The revenge crazed guy she loved when he tried to kill her? The teammate who constantly told her how annoying she was? The one who grudgingly refused to admit how much she had exceeded everyone's expectations of her, including his? Would she care despite all this?

And most importantly, should she?

As he sat staring at the dark horizon ahead of him, he felt a familiar chakra near him.

"Naruto." He quietly greeted.

"She lost the baby." was all Naruto said as he came and sat down next to Sasuke on the grass.

The words sank in and even though he expected to feel some sort of relief, he was surprised to find that even he wasn't twisted enough to find such a news mildly pleasant, no matter the situation.

"How?" was all he could muster.

"The fight she got into while coming back gave her some injury. Those rogues must have used some poison infused kunai to hurt her. She didn't realise that she was poisoned probably.

Tsunade said it's a slow poison which leaves no telltale marks on the wound. It gradually enters the system and multiplies, taking over the chakra system eventually."

"It attacked the baby?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

When Naruto simply stared out front without a response, he decided not to break the silence anymore. He knew there was nothing reassuring he could have said anyway, but just being there with him would probably help Naruto. There had to be a reason that despite it all, he had sought him out at this hour.

"She doesn't know it yet." Naruto said after a while which felt like an hour or two, but could have been just a few minutes.

"Tsunade promised to be the one to break it to her if am not there. But now, I hope it's Tsunade who breaks it to her. I don't think I can do it."

Sasuke knew what he meant. No matter the jealousy he felt, he couldn't deny that the greatest loss is losing a child. He knew how much it hurt to lose one's family. He knew the burden of that truth more than anyone else, but to lose the child that was supposed to not only outlive but also outshine you, he didn't even want to imagine that pain.

That pain was what Itachi feared the most. The fear that he might lose Sasuke someday.

Sasuke shut his eyes as a thousand different thoughts and many beloved faces floated by. His mother softly smiling at him, Itachi when he would try to teach Sasuke to throw a kunai, his father trying to scold him, all of it came flying back.

These were memories he had locked deep in a Pandora's box in the recesses of his mind.

He heard shuffling beside him and looked around to see Naruto getting up to leave. He had probably been crying, Sasuke realised.

"Go see her. Put your pride aside for once. She needs us, not your pride."

That was all he said before he turned and walked away. A certain morbidness in his gait.

Sasuke sat on the hill for a little while longer. Thinking about nothing in particular, but wondering about everything all at the same time.

Just as the horizon started to lighten a bit, he quickly stood up and left.

Sakura had finally managed to get herself in a half-asleep state when she heard the window slide open. Her ninja skills kicked in and her hand automatically reached for the kunai under her pillow, which wasn't there.

She then remembered that she was at the hospital, not at home. At the window, she could see the silhouette of the most stubborn man on the planet.

 _Sasuke Uchiha._

He quietly walked up to her and in a surprisingly tender gesture, tucked a stray strand of hair behind Sakura's ear, brushing her cheek with his hand as he did so.

Sakura almost gasped at the tenderness of the gesture. She associated everything brutal and mean with the Uchiha, she never could imagine anything gentle or kind being associated with him. She knew he was a reformed man now, a good one, but his morals were good, not necessarily his actions.

"Sleep. I won't be going anywhere." was all he said as he grabbed the chair next to her bed and sat down.

"But.."

"Shhh.." he put a finger on her lips.

"I promise I won't leave even if Tsunade wants to kick me out. We'll talk all you want later, but right now you need to sleep Sakura."

Sakura stared at him wide eyed but had no energy or reason to actually argue with him. So tried to pull up her sheets and curl up to sleep again.

Just as she slipped into her dreams, she felt a hot breath caress her face and then something soft grazed her forehead, and a softly mumbled "Sorry." echoed somewhere in the distance.

She didn't know if it was the drugs or reality, but Sasuke Uchiha had just probably kissed her forehead and apologised.

Things she knew that even her crazy mind wouldn't be able to imagine out of the blue.

The Uchiha sank back into the seat and regained his stoic mask as he saw a faint smile appear on the pinkette's face that lay before him.


	6. Onyx & Jade

_******PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END******_

"Oh, you are here!"

The sound of Tsunade's voice woke Sakura from her deep slumber. As the world came into focus she took in her surroundings.

She was still stuck in the hospital bed with a chakra cleansing seal constantly working on her, while next to her bedside sat the last Uchiha. He looked like he had just woken up to Tsunade's exclamation and seemed annoyed. Not that him seeming annoyed was surprising to her or anyone else.

"Hn." was all he said, clearly irritated at the obvious observation. He also seemed a little embarrassed to be found snoozing next to his pink-haired teammate.

Sakura couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips. Sasuke gave her a death stare but said nothing as Tsunade checked the seal and her vitals.

"Don't worry. I'll leave you two alone. Just wanted to check on her before I went to the Hokage tower. I'll ask the nurses to not disturb you both."

Sasuke could almost hear the amusement in the Godaime's voice much to his chagrin. As much as he wanted to call her annoying, she was the Hokage who was capable of assigning him D-rank babysitting missions, if pissed.

Sakura simply blushed at the implication and was a little surprised that Sasuke had kept his promise from last night.

Once Tsunade was done, she wished Sakura a speedy recovery and to call for Shizune if she felt anything weird. With a final smirk directed at the Uchiha, she left.

If there had been any awkward pregnant silence between the two teammates before, this one beat them against all odds.

The two sat facing away, each trying not to break the silence but with thoughts that were running miles each second.

After a few more moments Sakura decided to break the silence, as was customary for her with the always brooding and silent Uchiha.

"Thank you." she simply said.

Sasuke looked at her with a confused look.

"For staying last night. For coming. It means a lot."

The sudden burst of gratefulness from Sakura had Sasuke feeling guilty.

"I should have come sooner." he admitted.

"But you did, eventually."

"What if I was too late."

"But you weren't. You never are Sasuke-kun."

Her beaming smile and her use of the suffix caught him off guard. He forgot the entirety of the situation for a moment.

He got up and turned towards the door. He knew he was feeling things he shouldn't. Things she probably felt for someone else.

Someone who wasn't even with her despite the situation.

A sudden surge of protectiveness for the kunoichi took over Sasuke. How could that man just leave her alone when she had just lost his child! Even he wasn't so heartless.

He might not have said any soothing words, had it been Sasuke's but he would have made sure he was beside her, with her. Just like he was right now.

The realisation hit him hard. It was a euphemism, really.

He was with her despite it all. He wanted to be with her in spite of it all. If she would take him that is and he highly doubted she would after all that he had put her through. And if she had finally decided to move on, he couldn't really blame her. Who would keep waiting years for a person to come back, and then after they try to kill you, expect them to accept the person with all their darkness?

He couldn't expect Sakura to do so. He knew it logically, that she must have moved on in life. But he had finally admitted that somewhere in the back of his mind, all through his time with Orochimaru even, he had always thought that he would always have her in the end.

"You should rest." was all he said before Sakura judged the sudden distance that he was trying to create.

She understood his antics, but not the man himself. He burnt her hot and then he left her cold. There was no in between with Sasuke Uchiha, but he had shown concern for her for the first time, so openly at that.

She wasn't going to let him shut down his emotions once again, even if all he felt was friendship towards her.

She quickly grabbed his hand before he could move away.

"Please stay."

"No, you need to rest."

He didn't even turn to look at her as he spoke the words.

It stung, but Sakura knew that was Sasuke's way of pulling away.

"I will. But if you stay. Please?"

She had never pleaded with him or asked him for anything once he had returned to Konoha for good. Sakura was fiercely independent and ever if any of the Team seven men suggested that they might help her with anything, she would punch them into the ground for even suggesting.

Sasuke could hardly say no to Sakura. He knew what she had just lost, even if he didn't want to break it to her.

"I really shouldn't. Plus you should be asleep after all that Sakura."

"I am not that weak, Sasuke. I can handle all this. I know it was a really stupid mistake on my part, but that doesn't mean I am weak."

In Sakura's head, she knew this wasn't about her resting as much as it was about telling Sasuke the facts that she had grown up and was as feared as he was amongst the ninjas.

"I am not asking you to rest because you are weak Sakura. I don't think you are weak or stupid."

"But you still think am annoying." she quipped.

He was a man of few words, but he was dumbfounded.

"I don't."

"You don't?" The surprise in her voice was clearly evident. Just how much did Sakura think he loathed her.

He finally turned around to face her. Her eyes held a look of surprise and her dainty hand still latched onto his.

Onyx eyes locked onto jade as he spoke. "I don't. Probably never did."

The intensity of his gaze and his tone took her breath away and she could only manage a soft "Oh." in response. His gaze drifted down to where she still held his hand and a fierce blush crept its way up her cheeks as she quickly pulled away.

The sight of the fumbling kunoichi made Sasuke smirk.

Sasuke knew how it felt to be alone, but now he knew that even though he was the lone surviving Uchiha, he was never unloved or truly alone. He always had Team Seven with him in spirit, they still loved him and so did Itachi. And he knew what loneliness did to people. It made him vengeful and bitter.

He did not even want to imagine Sakura going through such dark times. She would forever be jaded and he did not want that. He might not have been able to protect her, but he would do what he could to keep her demons at bay.

He finally sank back into his seat next to her and after a moment of deliberation took her hand in his once again.

"I won't leave. Sleep."

Sakura gave him a soft smile as her heart fluttered. She slowly fell into a lull of sleep as Sasuke sat next to her with her smaller hand tightly held in his much larger one in an uncharacteristically tight, yet protective grip.

Tsunade had peeped in to check on the two ninjas when she saw the scene unfurl. Maybe it was time she had a chat with Ino, she thought as she smiled and softly shut the door behind her once again.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **I know I said I'll post after fifteen reviews but the kind of reviews you all left made me so happy that I decided to post earlier!**_

 _ **Thank you for all your support!**_

 _ **Fifteen reviews until the next chapter :D**_

 _ **XOXO**_

 _ **-MM**_


	7. Onyx & Jade II

"Dobe. Shut up."

"But Teme!"

"No."

"Teme!"

"..."

Naruto was frustrated. He was happy with the fact that Sasuke was being less of an ass and had finally decided to be there for Sakura. However, he couldn't imagine that the Uchiha had forcefully dragged Naruto out of her room. _Him_. Their best friend.

He was offended.

"You are too loud and she needs to rest."

Sasuke looked like he could strangle Naruto just to shut him up. The drugs were working their magic on Sakura and she was currently knocked out under their influence.

Sasuke had barely left the hospital for the past two days and all that Tsunade would tell him was that she was recovering steadily and was out of any danger.

Shizune was currently in the room with her, checking her vitals.

"Sasuke?" Shizune's head poked out of the room.

"Since you are here almost all the time, can you make sure you call me as soon as Sakura wakes up? There's nothing to worry about, but I just need to ask her a few things about how she is feeling."

Shizune stating the fact that he never Sakura's bedside made the Uchiha blush and Naruto started snickering behind him.

He politely nodded in acknowledgment as Shizune moved on to her other duties.

It was past lunchtime and Ino and Sai had promised to bring in some ramen for the Team Seven members.

"Where is my ramen!?"

Naruto was now grating on Sasuke's nerves.

"Shut up." he almost growled.

"But..." As soon as Naruto started speaking again, Sasuke had him in a death grip with one hand around his neck and the other on his mouth.

"Dobe you will get your ramen. Now shut up and let her rest."

Naruto knew what a threat sounded like when he heard one.

"I see you are being really caring Sasuke."

He turned around to find a stoic Sai and an amused Ino staring at him.

He could feel a nerve in his head twitching. He just couldn't believe his luck. How could one person be so unfortunate as to be forced to deal with all sorts of weird and annoying people together?

Sakura really owed him a lot. At least Naruto would shut up for a while now that his precious ramen was here, Sasuke sighed.

Finally alone, Sasuke sank into his chair next to Sakura's bed. After spending so much time in it, it had almost become his designated one. The only time he left the hospital was to train and shower at home.

He sat with his eyes closed and head resting on the chair when he heard a soft whisper.

A sleepy Sakura was smiling at him.

"Hi." She smiled softly.

He almost smiled back at her before he resorted to a signature smirk and "Hn."

"Did you mean it?" she asked. Uncertainty clear in her eyes.

"Mean what?" Sasuke thought he had missed something she must have said earlier.

"That you don't think am weak, stupid or annoying?"

The insecurity he could feel radiating off her shocked him.

"I meant what I said Sakura." He said in his most reassuring stoic tone.

"But, I think it was a very stupid mistake on my part. And it's alright if you think I was being careless Sasuke."

Her confession really shocked him. He wasn't expecting to have a conversation with her about her pregnancy so soon. As shocked as he was, he felt relief flood him gradually as her words sunk in. She had called it a careless mistake. So the father wasn't someone she intended to stay with. It was probably a one-night stand and by the sound of it, meant nothing else to her. Yet, the fact that she had decided to open up suddenly made Sasuke uncomfortable.

"You don't have to justify anything to me Sakura." he managed to say even though curiosity about the man was bubbling within him.

"I am not justifying. Call it thinking out loud may be and the fact that you are here right now means that am saying it all to you instead of just going over it in my head. I should have been more careful when they attacked. I never realised that those thugs were so dangerous. And I am the best medic Konoha has and yet I did not think of checking myself for all the symptoms until Tsunade ran her tests on me."

Her words were now ringing in Sasuke's head.

"What do you mean by you were attacked by thugs?!" the surprise was evident in his voice.

"While I was coming back from my mission, I was attacked. And well I wasn't careful enough and they had the upper hand on me for a while. I managed to defeat them in the end but didn't bother doing a thorough examination on myself after it. I just wanted to get back to Konoha." Her voice was now a whisper. Her eyes were constantly on Sasuke, waiting for a reaction. He looked frozen in time, too stunned, too angry suddenly.

"Did they live?" She could see that he was now seething.

"What?"

"Did they make it out alive? Because if not, then I will make sure I kill them myself!" His onyx eyes had now turned into the red irises of the Sharingan.

Sakura had been attacked before, and on many missions where Sasuke had accompanied her. But never had he ever shown so much rage.

"Sasuke I am fine and they are long gone. Trust me. Just calm down. Please." she pleaded.

Suddenly her breath hitched with all the burst of reactions and the monitors started beeping. Sasuke frantically rushed out to find Shizune or Tsunade.

Once he had found Shizune, she had assured him that Sakura had just gotten a little stressed. She had reprimanded him and warned him that he would be kicked out of the hospital if he did not keep his calm around Sakura. But how could he remain calm while he knew there were men out there who had possibly raped her and left her with a child she had already lost? The thought disgusted and enraged him.

Whenever he thought of anything pure and untainted, Sakura's face came into his mind. And to imagine that someone tried to tarnish her soul made his blood boil.

As Shizune walked out of the room, she reminded him to not stress Sakura before telling him that Sakura was waiting for him. With a curt nod, she left the last Uchiha standing at the door.

Sasuke opened the door quietly and entered the room. As he walked in, he saw Sakura sitting on her bed, looking pale and weak. Almost as fragile as a porcelain doll.

"I am fine." was all she said. She didn't look at him, instead stared out of the window as she spoke.

"Hn." was all he could manage.

"I really am fine Sasuke-kun and those men have been taken care of. Trust me. They can't harm anyone anymore."

Sakura could feel the intensity of his gaze burning a hole in her, but she refused to look at him anymore. She was scared she would catch a glimpse of that revenge-obsessed Sasuke once again.

"How can you be so calm? You went through so much and not once did you tell us?"

"It was just part of the mission. Nothing that wasn't a common occurrence." The kunoichi in her was now getting agitated with his sudden protective streak.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, is it?" She could hear the rage seeping into his voice once again, but she refused to look his way still.

"Nothing."

Suddenly he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to see him. She realised that their faces were mere inches apart and he held her in a vice-like grip.

"You call going through so much and losing a child nothing?"

"Child?" Confusion took over her deep green eyes.

"I know about it. So does Naruto. We know you were pregnant." He was now visibly calmer, yet his anger had not subsided.

"Pregnant? What are you talking about?"

"We know that you just lost a child and that's why you are in the hospital Sakura."

"What? NO! I am in the hospital because I got cut with a poisoned dagger!"

Sasuke stared at her for a really long time. Was it possible that she wasn't even aware that she was pregnant, or that she had gone into a state of shock?

"When I was returning from my last mission, a bunch of goons, the ones I was talking about, attacked me. I managed to defeat them but not without a few cuts and bruises. I healed most of them before I reached Konoha but one of the cuts was infected with an almost undetectable poison that must have been on their kunai that they threw at me. That skipped my notice and was slowly killing my chakra system.

Tsunade had me tested for my sudden weakness and caught the poison right in time before it severed my body's binds with my chakra forever. That's why she had to admit me to the hospital suddenly."

Sasuke was now collecting his thoughts and staring at her dumbfounded.

"So there was no baby?"

"No."

"And you are sure of it?"

"Yes, because it's not possible that I am pregnant."

"Why?" His blunt question made them both turn a shade redder.

"Because to have a child I would need to have sex."

"So...uh you haven't?"

"Not in a year at least." Sakura refused to meet his eyes anymore, especially with him practically an inch away from her.

So she wasn't a virgin. That wasn't a surprise for him though, he had expected it, he knew he didn't deserve her. He wasn't living in delusions where she never tried to move on from him in all the years that he was away plotting murder after murder.

Yet, at the same time, he was relieved that there was no child, to begin with.

In the past few days, he had gone from considering to adopt the child, to just be there as an Uncle, to being worried about the child and mourning it eventually. All for a child that did not even exist!

But this fictitious child had taught him what all he was willing to change for Sakura if he needed her in his life and there wasn't much he wasn't willing to shed for a new life with her.

Relief washed over him and any other confusion or questions he had faded away. All he knew was the pinkette in his arms.

Almost with the same intensity as before, he crushed her to his chest. Sakura could feel his chiseled abs under her own soft flesh with two thin layers of clothing separating them. Her cheeks reddened at the thought.

"I am so glad that you are fine." He murmured with his face buried in her hair.

She finally managed to move a little to look at him and as Onyx met Jade this time, a whip of electricity crackled between them, unlike the usual tension that was always there.

Neither knew who moved in first but within a second their lips crashed together. Sasuke was holding Sakura as if she was a fragile doll, while Sakura had her hands on his chest, his Uchiha clan t-shirt bunched up in her hands.

Soon he was cradling her head, while her hands were holding onto his ebony locks, as if for dear life. Their lips moved against the others like tides when suddenly Sasuke took in her lower lip in his mouth and sucked on it. Soon both had their tongues fighting for dominance.

Finally, almost an eternity later, they broke apart for some air.

"I don't..." Sakura began to explain, but Sasuke beat her to that.

He put a finger on her lips and just said "Rest." Before almost smiling at her as he tucked her back into bed.

Sakura was over the Moon would be the understatement of the century. The drugs were making her feels funny things, she concluded as she drifted off to sleep; Sasuke's hand clasped firmly in her own.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Hope this was long enough and finally the big reveal!  
And I am really sorry for the wait. Life has just been a tad bit too difficult lately. I will reply to all the reviews when I can!**_

 _ **Thank you so much and really sorry for the rant, and in short just want to explain that when you spam a story with similar comments without actually knowing the entire deal, you ruin the experience for other readers who might have enjoyed it.**_

 _ **I know the same has happened to me so many times where I put off a story after reading the comments, but land up loving the story in the end.**_

 _ **I know I cannot make all of you love the story, but please try to be fair to all the author's here. And critique is always welcome and I often try to incorporate all the points mentioned for my next chapter. But if ever you want to discuss the story, please do it in a fair manner or simply PM me. A bad review about my writing style and all is most welcome, I write to make myself better!**_

 _ **Sorry if it irked you all, but thank you for standing by this story!**_

 _ **Twenty reviews until the next chapter? Please? I gave you a kiss between them. I can ask for that much :P**_

 _ **Heheheheh**_

 _ **XOXO**_

 _ **-MM**_


	8. The Naked Truth

"Lower your voice, Yamanaka."

"Sorry. But how do we tell everyone now? They will hate me and Sasuke has probably figured it all out by now!"

"What have I figured out by now?"

"Shit." The word escaped from Ino's lips as she heard Sasuke's voice from behind her. Tsunade looked towards her office's door where Sasuke stood with a frail looking Sakura next to him.

"What are you doing out of bed Sakura? You should be resting." Tsunade said, trying to sound as normal as possible. She might be the Hokage but even she couldn't guarantee the fact that the Uchiha and pinkette would not subject her to their combined wrath. The thought made her shudder inwardly.

"I am fine Tsunade-sama. I just wanted to see you for a while, but now that Ino is here, I think I could speak to both of you at once." She smiled, yet her tone was formal and curt.

Ino knew she was in trouble and the fact that the Uchiha seemed to be hiding a smirk did not help matters at hand.

"I think I am going to be sick." Ino said.

Sasuke pulled her a chair next to where Sakura sat and motioned her to get seated. Ino knew better than to challenge his suggestion and meekly went and sat next to Sakura who gave her a small smile.

"So..." Tsunade began.

"I just wanted to know why Ino informed everyone that I am pregnant and you never corrected anybody."

Sakura's question was blunt and her tone meant business. Sitting in a hospital gown with Sasuke supporting her upper body by standing next to her made her seem fragile, but her expression suggested anything but that.

"I uh..."

"Let me tell you." Ino interrupted Tsunade who gave a sigh of relief.

Ino took a deep breath and started looking at her shoes as if they are the most interesting things in the entire world.

"While you were gone, I went to collect my reports and somehow got to know that yours came back with the fact that your sample showed the fact that you are pregnant. I couldn't believe my eyes and asked them to check it once again. Once your sample tested positive for pregnancy twice, I couldn't believe the fact that you never told me that you met someone."

She finally looked up and saw three pairs of shinobi eyes staring at her.

"That day when I met you and Naruto, Sasuke, I wasn't lying. I told you all I knew. And the reason I told you all before I spoke with Sakura was the fact that I had a suspicion that Sasuke was the father."

Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up at the implication and Sakura's eyes widened and her cheeks flamed up. Ino smirked slightly at their reactions.

"But it was obvious from your reaction that you were not the guy Sakura had managed to get knocked up with. So, the next logical thing to do was consult Tsunade. Tsunade was furious at first that Sakura could be so callous, yet she didn't believe it to be true. She asked for all the reports and samples. The next day when I met Tsunade, I got the biggest news of my life. The samples had somehow gotten mixed up.

The one that tested positive wasn't yours. It was mine."

Now Ino was blushing furiously.

"Oh Kami! So you and Sai are going to be parents!" Sakura exclaimed delightfully, all anger dismissed in a second.

"Yes. I am pregnant, a few weeks along." Ino smiled as Sakura hugged her tightly.

"Why didn't you tell us the truth right then?" Sasuke asked, bursting their bubble. He was happy for them, but he needed to know why they had continued to lie about something so dramatic.

"Becausewethoughtitwouldhelpyouacceptwhatyoufeelforher..." she mumbled.

"What?"

"Your reaction was probably the most dramatic of all Uchiha. More than Naruto's in fact. You burnt down almost all our training grounds in your newfound rage. We had to know what was making you act this way after learning of her pregnancy, so we decided to not say anything until later.

When Sakura came back from her second mission, the kunai that had injured her proved to have an almost undetectable poison in it which made her weak."

Sasuke didn't miss the implication of her words but was glad when Tsunade changed the topic.

"You and Naruto probably mistook her condition as a symptom of pregnancy while we thought she was simply tiring herself out more than usual."

"How come you never asked me anything before?" This question was directed at Sasuke and he knew it. He was dreading answering it. Sakura looked at her with unsure eyes.

"Because we wanted you to tell us about it when you were comfortable."

"I am surprised Naruto never said anything."

"Sasuke and I might have threatened him a bit to keep his mouth shut." Ino giggled.

"You both threatened Naruto to not ask me anything so that I don't feel awkward? That's twisted and sweet at the same time, considering the situation." Sakura smiled.

Sasuke wasn't used to having 'sweet' used as a word to describe anything associated with him.

"Hn." was all he said but Sakura knew it what he meant.

"Well, we couldn't really have Naruto sabotaging our plans."

"Why did you do this? I still don't get it." Sakura asked.

"We all care for you and you know that, but we wanted to know for sure if Sasuke actually cares for you as much as we think he does." Ino chose her words carefully, She did not want to piss anyone else today, especially the Uchiha.

"And when we had to admit you to the hospital because of the poison, the way he reacted and was by your side throughout has impressed me. You were there for her and her child even when you did not know anything else about the situation." Tsunade added.

Sasuke blushed profusely and his reddened cheeks weren't missed by Sakura.

"Thank you." was all she said while looking up at him. Her soft jade eyes stared into onyx eyes that softened at the sight of her.

Then she turned towards the two women in front of her and her expression turned to that of a woman enraged.

"You two had no right to meddle with my life like that. Do you realize the consequences of your silly prank! Naruto is probably upset with me right now that I never told him anything and everyone is worried sick about me and a baby I never even had to begin with! How could you do it!

I understand you both had good intentions at heart but that does not excuse your behavior. And I trust Sasuke, I know he cares for me and if he had to risk his life to save me, he would do it in an instant. I am his teammate and I know him enough.

I can't believe you actually encouraged this Tsunade!"

Tsunade and Ino murmured a sheepish 'Sorry' each.

"Your prank has caused a lot of emotional turmoil to all of us and for that, you both must explain the entire situation and apologize to everyone together, including Naruto." with that she stood up, taking support from Sasuke and the two walked back to her room.

Tsunade and Ino knew their harmless prank had spiraled into something way more dramatic, but at least they were sure that the Uchiha was surely in love with their favourite medic and it wouldn't be long before he admitted that to her.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Aaaannnnnddd I am back. I just started a new job and I spend FOUR long hours travelling each day. I am almost always tired even though the work seems great.**_

 _ **I hope it all gets fine enough soon.**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you all like this so far and don't worry, it's not over yet.**_

 _ **Maybe two more chapters left, including a lemon ;)**_

 _ **So stay tuned and REVIEWWWWWW**_

 _ **XOXO**_

 _ **-MM**_


	9. Self-Preservation

Ino Yamanaka was a smart woman who clearly knew the art of self-preservation.

The day Sakura was scheduled to leave the hospital was the day she chose to declare that she was going to break the news of her pregnancy to all their friends over dinner.

She planned to tell everyone the truth, but make it more about a celebration than a confession. She knew that even Sasuke wouldn't trouble a pregnant woman.

"I am a genius!" she smiled smugly to herself as she opened the Yamanaka flower shop for the day.

Sakura was finally going home today after all the poison had been completely removed from her system.

Sasuke had stuck around after Ino's declaration but gradually seemed to relax (as much as a stoic Uchiha could) and instead of spending every waking moment beside her, he paid her daily visits.

They usually sat in a comfortable silence when he visited. He usually came after lunch and Sakura would ask him about how his training went and the others.

Naruto would join them by early evening and finally, the two left before dinner when some nurse would finally ask them to not exhaust Sakura.

Hinata and TenTen had visited her along with the rest. All of them seemed extremely upset but Sakura didn't know what they thought of the situation, yet so she chose to just take their sympathies until Ino cleared the confusion.

All through the day, the medications and her friends kept her occupied but at night she lay wide awake. Her mind drifted to random musings like when would Kakashi finally return from his mission, why couldn't Naruto ever get over ramen, why did Ino do such a stupid thing, how could Tsunade encourage such a thing and mostly what kept her up at night was the thought that how come despite all the confusion, Sasuke had acted so angry yet so caring.

She cared for her teammate deeply but had killed any romantic feelings that she harboured for him in her heart long ago. She did not wish to dwell on feelings and fantasies that she knew would never come true so she had decided to be happy with the fact that he was safely back in their lives as a friend and teammate.

It was impossible to hold onto love for a man who probably did not even remember your existence while on a quest for revenge. How many times had she thought that they might have to fight each other to death if it was Konoha's security in question?

She had steeled her heart back then. Locking any such feelings that she might have had.

The fact that the Uchiha was still as cold towards her as ever did not help matters. She knew he cared about her, but he did the same for Naruto, Kakashi and maybe even Sai in his own way. Sakura knew there was nothing special in the way he treated her. He had just come to respect her more as a shinobi and medic in the recent years, yet her own insecurities lead her to doubt this at times.

Sakura couldn't even imagine how she would feel if another woman was to become the mother of Sasuke's child. Even if she knew she could never have him, in her heart she still could not see him with someone else. However, she knew that he would eventually have to settle down to rebuild the Uchiha clan, and she would not be the Uchiha matriarch chosen for this purpose.

Yet, when she mulled over it, Sasuke's reaction baffled her. He had been livid at the news initially, yet came to her comfort when he thought she had lost the baby.

She was surprised that he had been so thoughtful and caring once she was in the hospital, but what puzzled her was his earlier reaction. She could understand if Naruto behaved this way because she never told him about her secret encounter with the 'father', but why would Sasuke act this way, almost as if he was jealous?

Sakura absent-mindedly put her few belongings into a travel bag, that Naruto had brought over from her place, as she prepared to get discharged.

She had tried to bring up the topic with him. The thought that he might have been jealous had plagued her. But that very instant he had shut her out. All the open caring attitude had vanished in an instant. He stayed with her that day, like he usually did at the hospital, but was almost like a non-existent presence.

Sakura had decided not to bring up the matter again. The next day he started making daily visits instead of staying over. That was enough indication for her.

She didn't know how to approach this with him anymore so she decided to stick to what she knew best; act as if nothing had changed.

Naruto and Sasuke had walked her home from the hospital and both had insisted that they stay for a while to help her readjust. Actually, Naruto had done all the insisting and Sasuke had simply nodded in agreement.

Sakura knew she wanted a few hours to herself before she would eventually have to meet everyone at Ino's dinner party.

After a short nap, Sakura was now putting away a few clothes when there was a knock at the door.

"Forehead!" came the voice.

"Aren't you supposed to be preparing for the dinner, Ino?" asked Sakura, emerging from the bedroom.

"Well, it's all taken care of and Sai is sorting out whatever is left. So, how are you?"

Sakura put down the clothes that she was folding earlier.

"I am fine. The poison just took a massive strain on me but now I almost feel back at my full strength. Tsunade said I should be fine in a day or two. I was planning to start my shifts at the hospital by tomorrow perhaps."

Ino had made herself comfortable on the couch and was staring intently at the pinkette.

"No. How are you really? How are you feeling?"

Sakura gave her a confused look as she sat next to her.

Ino took Sakura's hand in hers and looked down.

"I am sorry. I know my little plan has probably brought on a lot of trouble for you."

Sakura gave Ino's hand a reassuring squeeze before pulling her into a tight hug.

"I have forgiven you, but yes it wasn't the easiest for me. But I think, you owe an apology to the boys more than you owe me one. Hinata told me how Naruto was losing sleep over my phantom pregnancy."

"And so was Sasuke." and with that Ino giggled slightly.

"Ino!" Sakura shrieked as her cheeks warmed.

"You know his reaction was terribly unexpected. I expected him to go on a rampage but for him to act so caring towards you caught all of us off guard. Even you have to admit, it was strange."

Sakura got up to make some tea as she spoke.

"We are team mates. Of course, he cares. He would have done the same for Naruto or Kakashi."

"I doubt that but whatever lets you sleep at night, or not." she winked.

Ino stood up, meaning to leave.

"Dress up nicely, Forehead. You never know who might be noticing you tonight."

"As if." she sighed.

"Gaara is coming you know? I could set you two up."

"Oh shut up Ino!"

"Oh, so you only want Sasuke to notice you?"

Sakura stood up fumbling. "Nothing like that!"

"Then I will try to set you up with Gaara! Bye!" Ino said as she rushed out of the door leaving a flustered Sakura to stare after her.

Haruno Sakura found herself standing in front of her full-length mirror, unable to decide if the dress that she wore was fine or not for the occasion.

It was a midnight blue number which hugged her curves just right and stopped a few inches above her knees. The sleeves were long and flared out below her elbows and added a charming twist to the ensemble.

"Not like he would notice anyway." she muttered under her breath as she finished putting on a coat of cherry lipstick and fluffed her curled hair one last time before grabbing a coat and leaving.

She knew she looked fantastic. If he wanted to notice her or not wasn't her concern, she had dressed up to lift her own spirits. He hadn't been around for such a long time anyway that trying to catch his fancy had taken a backseat a very long time ago.

She had accepted that he would always remain his frigid self with an occasional burst of caring and warmth. And she had now decided that as much she still cared for him, she did not want to play a game of hot or cold with him anymore.

She was happy knowing he cared, but she would not run after him to give her more. She had faced enough rejection at his hands and she would try asking him one last time tonight. If he acted like the cold bastard that he usually was, she would be done with him for life. She could stay friends with him for all their lives, but that didn't mean she had to pine away.

With that resolve, she plucked her shawl from the couch as she made her way out through the front door and off to Ino's.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Hello everyone!  
Sorry, for the long wait but my job is really getting to me. I only have Sundays off and a 4-hour commute each day. It's draining me.**_

 _ **In the meanwhile I have read scores of more fanfictions, (That you can find on my profile under the favourites tab) and have saved all the SasuSaku ones on the list I made.**_

 _ **This fic probably has 1 more chapter to go and then an epilogue or something maybe.**_

 _ **Also, any Potterheads in the house? I JUST BOUGHT THE 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **Year edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone-Slytherin Edition (#SlytherinPride)**_

 _ **Yes, am very excited. No, I don't care if anyone judges me.**_

 _ **Until next time!**_

 _ **XOXO  
-MM**_

 _ **P.S. I will hopefully reply to all reviews in time and eventually sit and proof read all the chapters, which I am guilty of not doing.**_


	10. One Dance

The party was buzzing and Ino had just made the announcement a while back, clearing up any confusion about Sakura being pregnant. Naruto was on his fifth shot and was louder than his usual self if that was possible.

"I assure you I can still beat you, even if am drunk." he whined.

Gaara smirked at the blonde and just moved away.

"Hey!" Naruto was almost offended by the lack of reaction when Hinata pulled him away while Temari chuckled next to the couple.

Ino and Sakura sat in a corner sipping their drinks. Sakura could feel the buzz in her head now and was slowly loosening up, while Ino next to her kept grumbling about how she was now forced to have juice.

Slowly Sakura stood up and looked around the room; no glimpse of onyx hair and Sharingan wielding onyx eyes.

'He might not even bother turning up.' she thought to herself as she moved over to the makeshift dance floor to join the others. Tenten grabbed Sakura to the middle and called for Ino to join them. Soon they were all swinging with no care for anything in the world. Ino had pulled in an awkward Sai to join her while Choji danced around them with a bowl of chips in his hands.

Gradually all the guys joined them, but everyone constantly had to stay wary of Naruto's bursts of excitement, lest he hit someone with his flailing arms and legs.

Sakura soon found herself giggling at Naruto's antics with Gaara who danced next to her. He motioned for her to join him in a very uncertain manner, but Sakura had made up her mind about finding new choices so she almost immediately said yes. By the time the song changed, the duo was dancing away happily.

Sasuke had just entered a while back and after congratulating the couple had gone to stand in a corner and pretend to brood like usual, until he noticed Sakura in her navy dress. The colour of the dress reminded him of the night sky when everything in the forest is pitch black yet the stars bedazzle the night. Her skin looked even more creamy and radiant despite its paleness and her blush pink tresses stood starkly against the deep blue. Everything about her tonight was exceptional. She looked sexy, stunning and beautiful. Sasuke would never admit it to anyone, even himself, that he was checking her out. But there were some things he couldn't help when it came to his former teammate.

The next thing that caught his eye immediately put him in a sour mood. Gaara.

Gaara was dancing too close to Sakura, he noticed. While Sasuke stood there giving them a death glare, Gaara said something to Sakura that made her giggle while she sipped her drink.  
Sasuke did not like this one bit. He did not like how Gaara stood so close to her, almost touching her. Nor did he like how happy she looked with him.

'She should be like that only with me, Goddamit.' he thought and immediately flinched at his sudden chain of thoughts. He was alien to the notion of jealousy. All his life he had never been jealous of anyone, he simply resented them for having what he didn't, family and love. But now he may have finally understood what it meant to feel jealous of another.

He made his way towards the makeshift bar and poured himself a neat shot of whiskey. He would need something to keep his temper in check if he were to survive the night.

"Sasuke-kun you came!" Sakura exclaimed happily from behind him. Her excited tone put him at ease, but just as he turned he saw that Gaara stood next to her, holding her hand securely in his.

Gaara greeted him with a curt nod and Sasuke returned the same before making a move to leave when suddenly, out of nowhere, Sakura stood in front of him.

"Wouldn't you ask me to dance Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's tone gave away the fact that the blunt question took a clear amount of liquid courage on her part.

Sasuke looked at her but before he could say anything, Gaara came and stood next to her as if staking a claim.

"Sasuke-kun you never bother with anything!"

"Hn." was all he said.

"Fine." said a pissed Sakura as she turned on her heel and left, dragging a surprised Gaara back to the dance floor with her.

Ino saw the entire exchange but chose to stay mum. This wasn't the time to go speak with the fuming Uchiha, clearly. But that didn't mean she couldn't meddle with things. Right?

Soon she changed the song to a raunchy number and waited for the drama to unfurl.

"Hey Forehead! I bet you can't do any sexy moves on a guy on this song or the next!" Ino said to the pinkette who looked at her with a confused face.

"Of course I can you Pig!"

"Oh really? Who will you show it on? Sasuke?"

"Yeah right. I don't want to waste my talent on a block of ice. Just look and learn Ino Pig."

With that, she chugged down her shot of tequila and swayed back to the dance floor, facing Gaara.

"Watch and learn." she shouted back to Ino as she started by putting her arms around Gaara's neck who stood there completely confused and dazed. As the song went on and the beats dropped to a sensuous pace, Gaara could practically feel himself harden as Sakura started grinding him. He knew she was oblivious to the effect that she was having on him, so he tried to put in some distance between them. But Sakura was having none of his gentlemanly ways and turned around to rub her back against his chest while her hands played with his hair and her ass moved along the apex of his legs.

Sasuke had been watching her and she was the sole reason he wanted to leave but hadn't left till now. He couldn't stomach her behaviour with Gaara, no matter how drunk she was. He could feel a strange need to drag her away from here and had been trying to chalk it up to his irrational drunk thoughts to keep his temper in check.

But the moment she started grinding her ass against him, Sasuke saw red. Literally.

Within a second, he stood in front of her with the Sharingan activated in his eyes. He grabbed her by her arm and dragged her away.

"What on earth do you think you are doing!?" She screamed at him as he managed to drag her outdoor to Ino and Sai's patio.

"I am making sure you stop doing obscene things."

"What do you mean by that Uchiha? I was just dancing." The use of his last name and her tone meant she was in a lethal mood now and would not be contradicted.

"You were grinding. Not dancing." he said looking away from her pointed gaze.

She moved around him to stare into his eyes. She was still a bit shorter than him in heels and had to look up to make eye contact.

"I wasn't obscenely grinding as you so put. Most people were doing the same thing. Stop all of them in that case. What's the hypocrisy?"

"At least they are all couples and not random ninja acquaintances."

That seemed to be the last straw. Suddenly her eyes flared up and all her alcohol induced high went away.

"So are Gaara and I for all you know Uchiha. Not like you give any fucks about who I am seeing or sleeping with." She spat out as she turned around to leave.

"So he is the one you wished would be the father of your phantom child."

That stopped her in her tracks.

"I wished for no such thing." She said in a much quieter yet stoic voice. Her tone of voice reminded him of his own; unfeeling and unyielding.

"Didn't seem like that. So are you seeing him now or was it him all this while behind our backs?" He had no idea where were the sudden bitter replies were coming from.

He made it sound like she had lied to all of them or backstabbed him. It was just one pathetic dance for the sake of Ino's bet and yet here she stood being accused of going behind everyone's back to date him. Then the thought that struck her made her increasingly uncomfortable. Sasuke sounded bitter and jealous.

"It was just a dance. I owe you no explanation but if I were to date a man like him, I would proudly tell the world. I don't believe in hiding things, unlike some people. And unlike some people, if I have a problem with my friend being with someone I don't approve of, I would talk to them before I accuse them. It's not like you have any right to ask me anything Uchiha. You cared for me while I recovered and for that am thankful, but you have made it plenty clear that you don't care for me more than a team mate so please, just respect that boundary and don't make it more difficult than it has to be."

Sasuke stood there stunned. He felt like someone had slashed him with a burst of Chidori through his heart.

"And stop trying to make it sound like Gaara is staking some sort of claim when you have none."

With that and a loud slam of the door, she walked back in.

Sasuke stood there feeling anger well up within him. Anger that stemmed from the knowledge that he knew she was right and the fact that he knew he had no claim on her and confusion about the fact that he wanted to be the only one to have any claim on his pinkette.

In his mind he had already claimed her, he realised. He had just called her his.

 _ **(A/N)**_

 _ **Extremely sorry for the delay but work is really getting to me and my health hasn't been that great either. Sigh**_

 _ **On a brighter note, I started publishing my writing on Instagram and for updates about any of my stories and to read my daily writings you can find me on Facebook on my page 'Mirthfully Morbid' and my Instagram handle**_

 _ **Do let me know what you think!  
**_

 _ **XOXO**_

 _ **MM**_


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